Effort hopes to draw more visitors to Cleveland

CLEVELAND (AP) -- Tourism officials are hoping a rebranding effort in Cleveland will draw more business and leisure visitors and highlight the city's underappreciated attractions.

David Gilbert, chief of the city's tourism bureau, said Wednesday that the campaign seeks to "change the narrative about Cleveland as a visitors' destination."

The tourism bureau -- called Positively Cleveland -- is specifically targeting those ages 25 to 34 because they don't have their parents' hang-ups about the city and are most open to coming here to visit.

But they say the outreach will be spread across different age groups, from those who appreciate arts and culture to families who are drawn by the affordability.

The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer (http://bit.ly/1qYuujg ) reports that the campaign has spent nearly $2.4 million figuring out what outsiders think about the city.